The use of composite multi-layered materials exhibiting high strength to weight ratios and capable of extended service is particularly exemplified in aircraft construction where composite multi-layered component structures can be compositionally and geometrically tailored to function in substantially all environments encountered during flight. Because of these extreme environmental conditions, however, it is common for damage to occur to such composite structures. As can be appreciated, repairing these multi-layered structures must be such that a repaired portion fully and completely corresponds in integrity to values present prior to the occurrence of the damage. Otherwise, structural failure may occur at the site of repair during operation of an aircraft bearing the repaired composite structure, and such failure may result in loss of life and property.
Present repair methodology for a multi-layered composite structure generally involves, first, locating the damaged area, second, manually marking and removing the damaged area without significant external aid in the topographical measurement and demarcation of the damaged structural portion to be removed, and, third, manually designing and fabricating each replacement layer of a patch destined to replace the removed damaged area, once again without significant external aid in the replication of original structural topographical orientation. In addition to being extremely tedious, labor-intensive and time-consuming work, such present methodology requires significant operator expertise and, consequently, can be subject to significant operator error. As noted above, an error in the repair of a composite structure can lead to potentially critical circumstances. Thus, it is evident that a need is present for provision of operator aid in the repair of multi-layer composite structures.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a process for repairing damage to a multi-layer composite structure wherein topographical laser measurement of a damaged area is correlated with damage-depth measurement and known component presence to map damaged-area parameters for ultimate removal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for repairing damage to a multi-layer composite structure wherein a microprocessor correlates laser topographical measurement with inputted depth measurement to create a laser pattern projected on the damaged area to be followed in removing damaged material.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a process for repairing damage to a multi-layer composite structure wherein a microprocessor topographical and depth correlation is provided to generate projection of a laser pattern on a flat piece of replacement material to enable an operator to cut a replacement patch whose placement replicates substantially all characteristics of the composite structure prior to damage.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows.